BX Rolling Logs

Tractor Seabee · Dec 12, 2013

I am working the slash piles left from logging 15 Ac of timber to make firewood to sell. 20 cord to date and that much or more to go. They left two large piles where they set up the processor on either side of the creek; 59 truckloads and many of them over 100K weight. I am putting my BX 25 to the test sorting the largest pile which is on a slope, so had to excavate a level area next to the pile to work from. Quickly learned to move very slowly on the slopes. I use the BH as moving ballast on the up slope side. That means moving it a lot. Some pieces I carry down whole to the wood lot and others just roll to the bottom and then pick up.
See the attached pictures:
Those long logs are Madrona 10 dia and 15 long. They weigh around 400-500 # each. I have picked up a lot of stuff in the 500 range with the FEL. Sure glad I raised the hyd pressure to 2000K a while back. The rest is fir, alder, and maple. Some are over 36 dia. We split most with a 5 ton electric splitter after splitting the large rounds to fit the splitter bed. Small stuff is faster to split with a splitting mall.
I pull stuff out of the pile with a short piece of chain (I have two) and attached to the D ring on the back of the FEL. Note it is in the bucket center. Note my homemade tooth bar. W/O that I could never have excavated the level area and made the trail I am working around the top of the pile. The tooth bar is also necessary to get stuff up into or on the bucket. All the easy stuff is now pulled so yesterday I ordered a set of log tongs from Amazon. Next is to get a grapple hook to throw to the top and pull down the branches and pieces up there so I do not get them on my head.

Grahamguy · Dec 12, 2013

Thanks for sharing your pictures! It is amazing the about of work that little tractor can do.

dodge man · Dec 13, 2013

Thanks for the photos. Amazing little machines aren't they?

Bob77064 · Dec 13, 2013

Great post, thanks.

ultrarunner · Dec 13, 2013

Talk about a logging operation...

Always enjoy reading your posts!

Is the ground frozen or is it really that dry?

Whenever I try to do anything in Olympia... I'm dealing with mud.

kw22614 · Dec 13, 2013

Wow such hard work from such a small machine! I split & stack about 10-15 cords a yr right in my side yard from wood already found and cut - mostly from Craigslist for our own use. I certainly enjoy your pictures of how much work I'm not doing anymore. :laughing:

Tractor Seabee · Dec 13, 2013

ultrarunner said:
Talk about a logging operation...

Always enjoy reading your posts!

Is the ground frozen or is it really that dry?

Whenever I try to do anything in Olympia... I'm dealing with mud.

The later ones showing the Madrona it was frozen. Earlier not. Here we are on a glacial till, sand, gravel, rock, it packs well and drains fast. My BX never fails to amaze me. I am now working around the pile to the right to get at a new mother lode and it has a lot of organics on top so it gets slippery in the rain, that's why I am at the computer, plus I need to fill my 50 GL diesel tank. That big dirt pile you see in the background on some pictures is actually decomposing sawdust and bark from the logging that is mixed in the pile. The processor strips the limbs and some bark and does the cute to length over the pile of debris. It is my new compost pile I will spread it on the Christmas tree plot I am soon starting. Looking into a manure spreader for that.

Ron

Gordon Gould · Dec 13, 2013

Great pictures. You're getting a lot of work done with your little tractor.

Thomas · Dec 13, 2013

That's one tough little mule.

Deano · Dec 14, 2013

Awesome pictures!!
:thumbsup:

Tractor Seabee · Dec 19, 2013

CONTINUING SAGA

Here are some more pictures of the continuation of dismembering that pile of firewood. It continues to be a challenge working on the slope and keeping the pathway graded out. Most grading is back-blading with the FEL mostly down hill. I can now turn around at the upper end to avoid backing all the way up. Half way leveling out areas to work from is also a challenge w/o ability to adjust laterally. Hard to explain, you just have to experiment. Note my homemade tooth bar and the D rings on the bucket. I centered the D rings to avoid uneven loading of the bucket when lifting or pulling out long pieces as you will see. Note the chain hookups. I only use chain with an open hook on one end. This would be impossible to do w/o the tooth bar, it really grabs those pieces and helps in getting up in/on the FEL. Today we consolidated the scattered pieces you see in the overview picture into one concentrated area to reduce firewood time production. Worked further toward the top today hoping to soon work from the top down. Keeps me hopping to supply my crew of 2-3 part-time cutter/splitters.

Ron

ultrarunner · Dec 19, 2013

That's a lot of teeth on that tooth bar.

Amazing piece of equipment those BX TLBs

Green Power · Dec 19, 2013

Your BX sure is a workhorse! how many hours are on it?

Tractor Seabee · Dec 19, 2013

ultrarunner said:
That's a lot of teeth on that tooth bar.

Amazing piece of equipment those BX TLBs

I set the teeth so the clamp on forks will set on them so I do not have to remove the bar to use the forks. Those tabs in the middle are to anchor a trailer hitch for the same reason.

Ron

Tractor Seabee · Dec 19, 2013

Green Power said:
Your BX sure is a workhorse! how many hours are on it?

Almost 1000 HR. I'v had it for less than 3 years. Really working it. BH is on about 1/3 of the time.

Ron

ultrarunner · Dec 20, 2013

I was lucky the tooth bar I bought fit with my clamp on forks...

Someday I will fab up a trailer ball mount... really think it would be a labor saver moving trailers around the back 40.

dragoneggs · Dec 20, 2013

Ron... fantastic! You are making me feel guilty about my own unfinished pile of cleared mixed trees done by excavator. The cold weather is giving me a weak excuse. Looks like you are braving it nicely. I guess it is time for me to get busy again during the xmas break. Are you chipping or burning or both?

Tractor Seabee · Dec 20, 2013

dragoneggs said:
Ron... fantastic! You are making me feel guilty about my own unfinished pile of cleared mixed trees done by excavator. The cold weather is giving me a weak excuse. Looks like you are braving it nicely. I guess it is time for me to get busy again during the xmas break. Are you chipping or burning or both?

Actually the weather has not been that bad. A few days too much rain to work on the slippery slope. I use 1" and smaller for my personal firewood. I made an attachment to go on my lawn tractor trailer that is a chain saw chop unit, drops into the trailer so can gut up where it is. 4" and larger goes in the sale wood except for crooked pieces and hard to split pieces, that is then mine. I plan to use my 6" chipper on the trash that is not contaminated with dirt.We always have a burn pile going for trash wood and stumps. Just had a huge fire a month ago with a 4' stump I put on top w/the BX. (That was an interesting drill) Nothing but ash now, burned way down deep for two weeks.

Ron

nc redneck · Dec 20, 2013

Great pictures. BX is a tough little machine, I own one. I believe it will be the 8N of our generation. Not trying to knock 8N it was the first tractor I owned.